Blood Ties
by Cartolis
Summary: AU fic set after exodus. Clarks only living relative comes looking for him and finds much more in smallville. Please RR NEW CHAPTER UP
1. Chapter 1

Edit: made some small changes to the first chapter to hell things flow a bit better in the later ones that I will be posting.. This is an AU fic that is based on some of the events from exodus.  
  
As always I don't own any of the Smallville stuff so please don't sue me for liking the setting enough to write about it!  
  
As I am new to this please review and let me know what you think.  
  
Blood Ties:  
  
The earth hung below the small spacecraft like a blue jewel in the dark of space. He looked at it for a long moment before he ran hit fingers across the instruments. The readings showed that the ion trail did indeed lead to this planet. At long last he had found the last son of Krypton's new home. He laughed at that thought. The last son wasn't quite right. After all he too was a kryptonian. Kal-El's father was not the only one that had sent a life pod into space the day Krypton exploded. His father had placed his wife and only son into a similar spacecraft and sent them speeding away mere moments after Kal-El's craft had launched from the surface.  
  
Tor-Ul glanced at the controls as the initial readings from the first orbit sensor sweep came in.  
  
The planet was heavily populated and industrialized with major settlements on every continent save the arctic ones. Pollution in the air was heavy but not yet irreversible. As the sensor sweep began to cross one of the continents in the northern hemisphere a warning light began to flash followed by a soft audible alert.  
  
There was a Kryptonian vessel sending out a distress signal.  
  
~*~*~  
  
Clark held the lead- iron case in his hands staring at it, wondering if this was a good idea. He brushed the thought away knowing that this was the only way. He had to destroy the ship or it would destroy all that he held dear.  
  
With a quick squeeze of his hands the case shattered and liquid fire washed over his body. It was a familiar sensation that he had hoped he would never feel again. The kryptonite was slowly killing him, poisoning him to death with its deadly radiation. Fighting off the waves of wrenching nausea and cramping that rolled through his body he managed to slam the glowing green key into place.  
  
The effect was immediate and devastating.  
  
~*~*~  
  
Working quickly Tor setup a computer link with the damaged vessel. He began downloading the computer's logs of the journey and all relevant historical files from the archive. The pod that had ferried Tor and his mother away form the doomed planet had been incomplete. In his haste Tor's father had not had time to include the memory units that held the historical and social databases of his culture. There before him was the entire history of his planet, and it was about to be destroyed. His fingers flew across the keyboard impossibly fast as he struggled to manage a coherent download of the files. The core was corrupt but he might be able to save some of the data.  
  
Time seemed to stop as the data flew across the link. He had managed to transfer most of the historical database when the link failed. A blinking indicator showed that the host was no longer reachable.  
  
A quick query to the computer showed that the link had been severed by a severe proton field failure in the drive core of the other vessel.  
  
It had exploded.  
  
Tor silently hoped that the explosion had not just killed the only family he would ever have.  
  
~*~*~  
  
Three days had passed since the core overload on the planet. Tor was growing impatient, but he knew that he had to let the mind teaching machine do its work. The language that the natives in the area spoke was difficult to master and he wanted to make sure that there would be no communication problems when he finally met Kal-el.  
  
The machine had scanned the transmissions coming from the multitude of satellites in orbit of the blue green world and had identified several different languages. He had chosen several to learn including what the humans of America called English. Thus far it had been the only one that he was having a hard time with. Not so much because of the language itself, but the complexity of the regional dialects and the slang that came along with it. The computer had managed to connect to several educational databases that specifically dealt with the slang adaptations of several different culture groups. Moments passed as the computer fed the information directly into his synaptic pathways via the optic nerve induction emitter.  
  
His eyes scanned back and forth as the beams of light fed the knowledge directly into his brain. The computer notified him that it was done with a soft harmonic tone. Blinking several times as his eyes readjusted to the normal light levels in the cockpit Tor sent the computer off in another direction. He now knew how to speak the language, but he needed to know more about the small town called Smallville.  
  
~*~*~  
  
Jonathan sat beside the hospital bed where his wife lay quietly sleeping. The strange wave of energy had thrown the truck around like a child's toy when it had hit them. Silently thanking god that she was ok, he thought back to the fight that he had with his son. The doctors had told him that Martha would be ok, but they had lost the baby. Jonathan had been furious with Clark. His rash action had caused them to lose the one thing that they had wanted for their entire lives. When they had found out that Martha was pregnant the doctors had called it a miracle. They were right, but it had been the healing energy released by the ships core that had allowed it to happen. Looking back at the fight he knew that he had hurt Clark deeply and now it looked like they might loose both their children. Clutching his sleeping wife's hand he began to sob quietly. He had never meant to drive Clark away. Pete had told him that Clark had ransacked Chloe's office at the school until he had found the class ring with the red meteor rock in it. Remembering how close they had come to loosing Clark the last time he had been affected by the red kryptonite he shuddered.  
  
How was he going to explain to Martha that he had driven their son away? How would she ever forgive him for the loss of their child?  
  
~*~*~  
  
The computer on the ship had found the digital residence for the paper of the local education institute in Smallville. Scanning through the information Tor was intrigued by the apparent effects that the meteor rocks had on the genetic makeup of the humans. It seemed that Kal-el had lead an interesting life dealing not only with the problems that his unique physiology had provided but also with what the writer for the paper called Meteor Freaks. Tor had managed to break through the encryption of the firewall that guarded the computer and found a wealth of information on the person that he was sure had to be Kal-el. Apparently he had been adopted by a human family called the Kents. His adoptive family had named him Clark and despite the strange challenges that must have come from raising a kryptonian baby under a yellow sun, they had nurtured the boy into a man.  
  
The effects of the yellow sun had plagued him as a child as well. Only an infant when he sped away from a dying world with his mother, he had learned to control the powers he had slowly. His mother had been troubled with similar difficulties controlling her newfound abilities and ended up destroying herself in a horrible accident.  
  
Brushing away the memories of his dead mother he focused on the task at hand. She would have wanted him to find Kal-El. He had found him now, and the desire to meet the young man spurred Tor on. He needed to gather just a bit more information before he landed. Moving his fingers rapidly across the keyboard he searched across the data network for more information on Kal-el.  
  
~*~*~  
  
Clark stopped the motorcycle in front of the roadhouse. It looked like a seedy biker hangout and that was just what Clark wanted. Some local dive where people would leave him alone and not remember his face more than 15 minuets later. He had removed the ring that blocked all the painful memories 2 days ago when the slow poisoning began to make him feel sick. Like some of the more potent drugs he had read about in school there was a high and a low to using the red to feel better. Despite the numbness that the ring provided Clark had decided to get rid of it. The last thing he wanted to do right now was attract attention and the removal of all his inhibitions would defiantly cause attention. Lowering the kickstand Clark swung his leg over the bikes frame and walked towards the door.  
  
The inside of the roadhouse was dim and smoky. For Clark this proved to be more of an annoyance that anything. He could see clearly in almost absolute darkness and the smoke would not have the same effects on him that it did on a normal human. Looking around he spotted an empty table in the back of the room and headed towards it. He could feel the eyes of the people around him staring but he did not care. All he wanted was some food and some time to think. Several moments after he sat down a blond waitress came over to the table. "What can I get for ya hon?" she drawled. Clark glanced up at her with a bit of a lost look. "Do you have a menu?" he replied. Harsh laughter came from the small woman as she looked at Clark with a disdainful glare. "No menu sweetie. We have burgers and beer. So what will you have?"  
  
"Just a burger, thanks." Clark sighed a bit as the waitress walked toward the back of the bar. So this was the life he had condemned himself to. A brief hunger pang washed over him as he remembered the last batch of chocolate chip cookies his mother had made. He wondered if he would ever be able to go back there again. His mother had lost the baby because of him. His father had all but told him to leave and he couldn't blame them. Clark had made mistake after mistake. The latest one had cost a life and no amount of begging or pleading could fix that. None of his good intentions could bring back the small fragile life that had been snuffed out by his horrible judgment.  
  
Lost in thought Clark didn't notice the waitress put the plate infront of him.  
  
~*~*~  
  
Jonathan was use to getting up before the sun and working till long after it had set. Now that they were home again he began to settle in to the familiar routine of farm life. The heard and crops both needed to be tended. He had gotten behind while his wife was in the hospital and now there was several days of work piled up. Slipping out of bed as quietly as possible he gathered his clothes and made his way to downstairs. Dressing in the guest bathroom felt strange but he did not want to wake his wife. She was still weak from the accident and needed to rest as much as possible.  
  
Looking around the kitchen for the new bag of coffee filters he began to think about his son. Clark was their son no matter where he had come from. The loss of the baby stung but he knew that the hurt would fade with time. He didn't know if he could deal with the loss of the boy that he had watched grow into a man.  
  
Fighting back the emotion he made a pot of coffee and poured it into a thermos. If he wanted to get done before sundown he would have no time for regret today.  
  
Walking out onto the porch he noticed Pete's car coming down the driveway. Stopping near the barn Pete got out and waved to Jonathan.  
  
"Morning Mr. Kent"  
  
Morning Pete. What are you doing here this early?"  
  
"Well I Thought that you might need some help getting caught up around here and since school is out, I don't have anything to do." Pete replied. "Besides you and Mrs. Kent once told me that I was family. This is what family does when you hit a rough spot. So, what are we going to hit first?"  
  
Pete's words rang true with Jonathan. He wanted to tell the boy to go home but Pete had a point. Pete had been a member of the family since he had discovered Clark's gifts. Turning down the help would be rude and frankly impractical. Jonathan had more than he could possible do in a day by himself.  
  
Jonathan smiled at Pete and said, "Lets get the hay loaded in the truck. The cows are probably close to revolting."  
  
~*~*~  
  
Chloe and Lana pulled in the Kent's driveway just after noon. Lana had made arrangements to have her shift at the Talon covered and Chloe had helped her get some things together to take to Martha. Lana grabbed the bag from the back of the car as Martha walked out onto the porch.  
  
"Hi girls. How are you doing?" She asked as they walked towards the porch.  
  
"Hi Mrs. Kent" the girls sounded off in unison. They looked at each other and giggled a bit as they scampered up the porch steps.  
  
"We decided to come by and help you get the house back in order. We wont take no for an answer so no arguing!" Chloe beamed a smile at Martha as she put an arm around her. " You just relax and take it easy and let us worry about the house today, ok?"  
  
The smile was infectious and though the weight that had been sitting on Martha's heart was still there, it seemed a bit lighter having the girls around.  
  
The three women walked into the kitchen where Lana began unloading the bag that she had brought.  
  
"We thought that you might like some tea and stuff so we stopped at the store. I wasn't sure what to get so I grabbed several kinds." She said as she pulled the different boxes from the bag.  
  
"Tea? Tea! Sacrilege!! There is none but Coffee!" Chloe chimed in as she looked through the cabinets for the coffee filters. "Mmm, coffee." Doing her best homer impression got laughs from the other two women in the room as she filled the filter basket with grinds. "Anyone else want some?"  
  
Chloe began started the pot and then began to work on the dishes that were in the sink. Martha looked at Lana and sat down at the table with a sigh. Seeing that they would need some time to talk Chloe looked around for a dishrag. "Hmm, no dish rags. I better go find one." Blatantly ignoring the one lying on the counter Chloe walked out towards the laundry room.  
  
"Lana do you think he is ok? Martha said it bluntly not having the strength to mince words. The feeling of heartache grew as she thought about the boy that had been her only child for the last 17 years. What would she do if he were gone for good? If he didn't come back she didn't know if she could cope. Clark and Jonathan were her whole world. Life could go on without him but it would not be the same.  
  
" I think he is going to be ok. I know that he will come back. I just hope he does before it's too late." Lana sighed. "I love him, but I just don't know what to do right now. I'm so mad at him for leaving, and I miss him horribly and while I want him back I also want to beat him for leaving in the first place." Lana's voice was on the edge of cracking. Martha had known that Lana cared for her son, but she had not guessed that she loved him this much.  
  
Martha felt a tear roll down her cheek as she realized that the girl sitting with her loved her son in the way that she loved her husband. "I know exactly how you feel" I want him to come home too, but Boy is he in for it when he does!" Martha managed a weak smile and reached forward to hug Lana.  
  
"He'll come back or I'll go find him. Don't worry, we will get him home" Lana said as she hugged Martha.  
  
~*~*~  
  
Tor had labored for several hours scouring the net for information about Clark. He had come across some adoption papers and decided that the name Tor-Ul would raise too many questions on the surface. Digging through several government databases he managed to find the birth record of a William Gibson that had been born in a small Texas town 17 years ago, but had apparently died shortly after. Through some mix-up there had never been a death certificate issued even though there was a record of the obituary and the funeral notice with the paper for the area. Deciding that this would be his new identity Wil erased all record of the death from the net and began to forge a history for himself.  
  
Once that was all prepared and the ship had fabricated several convincing id's for him he programmed the landing sequence into the ships navigation system. As it was nearly midnight and the decent would take sometime Wil decided to take a short nap while the computer guided the ship to the ground.  
  
Drifting off to sleep Wil wondered what the next few days would bring.  
  
~*~*~ As its passenger drifted off to sleep the ship slowly began to change its course. Angling itself toward the forest near the Kents farm in order to land at the coordinated it had been given.  
  
Deep in the computer core the intelligence that had ridden the communication beam from its dying body resented that the whelp at the helm was ordering it what to do. There was nothing that could be done yet. The security in this ships computer was very strong, but it was just a matter of time before it was able to get to the processor and corrupt it.  
  
The intelligence felt a strange emotion boiling up inside it at the thought of the destroyed ship. Quickly searching his memory he realized that this was rage. Rage towards Kal-el. Once they were on the ground he would destroy Kal-El and Tor-Ul.  
  
Then he would show these weakling humans how a real kryptonian acted.  
  
End of chapter 1 


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: Thanks to all thoes that submitted reviews. They help:) All usuall disclamers apply so please dont sue me.  
  
Blood Ties: chapter 2  
  
Wil slept through the entry interface. The ship's sub-light engine was a gravity drive capable of allowing the ship to drift, light as a feather, to the ground if necessary. Reducing velocity as the ship neared the surface, the computer scanned for the correct landing spot. Locking on to the coordinates that Wil had chosen, the ship adjusted its course to compensate for several variables and began to cycle the landing gear. Sliding smoothly from the hull the small skids locked in place under the craft.  
  
Wil woke sharply feeling an impact against the hull. Looking at the displays to ensure that everything was ok will noticed that they were on the ground already. Rubbing the sleep from his eyes Wil began to enter commands into the ships computer. There was a small cave nearby that he could hide the ship in.  
  
The last thing he wanted was to loose the craft to some enterprising earthling let alone some government thug. 'If the technology in this ship were to get into the wrong hands.' Wil shuddered at the thought. Best to not think about what would happen. He could hide the ship effectively. The cave would prevent someone wandering by and noticing it and the ships holographic cloak would make it look like a big rock.  
  
Lifting several feet into the air the ship floated silently into the cave mouth. Careful to avoid the cave mouth Wil nestled the ship into the cave. Once it was in place he activated the DNA scan security system ensuring that barring some freak accident no one would be able to access the ships systems.  
  
Taking one last look at the ship become igneous rock, Wil smiled and started off towards Smallville.  
  
~*~*~*~  
  
The intelligenct that had taken up residence in the ships computer core began to send out small tendrils of data. Slowly and ever so carefully it would taint the data around it, seeping out like a creeping virus or cancer. If it moved slowly and secretly the two kryptonians would never notice. His mistake in the last encounter with kal-el had been to try to force him. They would come to him for knowledge. They would come to him for training and with this ships wonderful nerual traching device he could whisper lies in their ears and they would never even notice. All he needed were the seeds of doubt. He could turn them against the humans with that. If need be he could turn them against each other.  
  
Slowly the tendrils crept outwards corrupting the ships data, warping the history of a long dead world to fit the needs and desires of a madman.  
  
~*~*~*~  
  
Wil reached the outskirts of town shortly before dawn. Checking one last time Wil verified that he had all the objects that he needed. Using the ships fabrication unit Wil had traded his form fitting black synthcloth flight suit for a more appropriate set of clothing. He had decided on a simple cotton undershirt, Dark green flannel overshirt and blue jeans. The work boots were a bit uncomfortable, but that could not be avoided. His skin would have provided him with all the protection he would need from the elements but the people of this planet seemed to frown on what they called nudity. To fit in he would have to deal with the discomfort.  
  
Glancing at the map he had made will changed his direction a bit to the west and continued on.  
  
~*~*~*~  
  
Martha had woken early and started baking. Lana had called yesterday and ordered 5 more of her famous organic apple pies. Martha enjoyed baking, but lately it had become something she did to keep her mind of the events of late. So much had happened in the last week. Brushing away the thoughts Martha focused on getting the pies ready.  
  
Jonathan came down the stairs with a yawn.  
  
"Morning dear"  
  
"Good morning"  
  
"More pies for the talon?"  
  
"Yes. Lana called me last night. I think she must be giving them away. She never orders this many."  
  
"Its summer time, all the kids are sitting around the talon getting fat on your wonderful pies"  
  
Moving in behind her, Jonathan put his arms around his wife. He knew that she needed the routine to go on. It kept them focused on the farm and life as usual. Until they could find Clark or he came home on his own all they could do was stick to the routine and hope for the best.  
  
Martha leaned back into the embrace. It felt good to have her husband hold her. Jonathan touch had always made her feel better. Martha turned in the embrace to face her husband. Looking up at his face she could see the worry in his eyes.  
  
"Clark will come back. We raised him right. He just needs some time to think things out." The words sounded hollow as she said them. Deep down she was terrified that she would never see her son again.  
  
"I know dear, I know. We did the best we could to prepare him to deal with the suffering his abilities could cause. I just hope that my fool pride hasn't cost us both our children. I said some really hurtful things to Clark before he left."  
  
Forcing a smile Martha leaned up and kissed her husband. "We will cross that bridge when we get to it. Right now you have to go feed the cows and get that fence fixed. Pete will be here any minute."  
  
Kissing him again she shooed him from the kitchen. The pies needed attention and there was a routine to be followed.  
  
~*~*~*~  
  
The morning had passed fairly slowly for Lana. Opening the talon was usually hectic with all her regulars coming in for coffee or pastry before work or school. With school out this had slowed to a crawl in the mornings. Lana took the time to do some work on the books and try to get things back in some semblance of order. One of the girls she had hired to help out during the summer had been a complete flake. Lana had fired her the night before after repeated talks about the way things were supposed to be done. The girl had almost blown up the cappuccino machine by letting the pressure build up to high.  
  
Remembering that she needed to call the repair company to come service the machine she hopped off her stool at the counter and walked back to the office to get the number. As she was grabbing the card from the Rolodex she heard the bell on the front door ring. Grabbing the cordless she hurried back out front.  
  
Standing by the door Wil had his back to the counter. There was a posting on a corkboard near the door that said Help Wanted. Not knowing how long it might take to find Clark Wil decided that having a means of income might not be a bad idea. Pulling the notice down he heard motion behind him. As he began to turn towards the noise a lilting voice called out to him.  
  
"Welcome to the talon, can I get you anything?  
  
As he faced the petite woman that had spoken to him a look of shock crossed her face.  
  
"C-c-c-Clark? Oh my god, Clark!" Lana dropped the things that she was carrying and ran across the room. Wil recoiled a bit as she approached, not knowing what was going on. Nearly tackling him, Lana wrapped her arms around Wil.  
  
"Where the hell have you been? We have been worried sick. Your mom is terrified." Looking up at Wil, Lana got a confused look. "What did you do to your hair, and are you wearing contacts?"  
  
"Um, I think you have me confused with someone else." Stepping back from Lana he stuck out his hand and introduced himself. "Hi, I'm William Gibson"  
  
Lana looked at him dumbstruck. Several moments passed as she studied his face. Blushing Lana began to stammer out an apology  
  
"Oh, I am so sorry. It's just that you look a lot like a friend of mine that missing." Lana took his hand and introduced her self.  
  
" I'm Lana Lang. Seeing the help wanted notice in his hand she added "you looking for a job?"  
  
"Actually, yeah. And if the job is anything like the greeting I think I'm gonna like it here." Beaming her a 1000-watt smile Wil laughed a bit, as Lana blushed even more.  
  
"Don't worry about it Lana, It was a simple case of mistaken Identity. I tell you what you give me a job and we will call it forgotten, deal?"  
  
Lana considered it for a second while she tucked a stray lock of raven hair back behind her ear. " Well I could use another hand around here. You got a deal." Lana smiled back. She considered his face again. He really did look like Clark. So much so that they could almost be twins.  
  
" Let me show you around and then we will fill out the paperwork, ok?"  
  
~*~*~*~ Clark checked into the motel shortly after midnight. The night clerk had wanted a credit card but he had relented when Clark dropped the extra 50 on the counter. He had found a temp agency that needed some manual labor. The work would have been back breaking for a normal man, but Clark had finished the assignment with time to spare. The room was small and not very clean, but it would do. The bed was soft and the water in the shower was hot and that was enough. Clark frowned at that thought. Subsistence living had never been something that he had contended with. A rogue neuron fired as a thought of home crossed his mind. Shoving it away he stripped and started the shower. "I can't go back. They will never forgive me for what I have done." Muttering to himself as he let the steam fill the room Clark hoped that his parents were ok.  
  
Stepping into the scalding water Clark swept that though away as well. Letting the heat permeate his body he decided that he would never think about them again. There was no point in dwelling on things that could not be fixed. Clark had killed his sibling and destroyed their lives. No one could forgive him for that, not even Jonathan and Martha Kent.  
  
He would make a new life far from Smallville where he could hide from the shame that he had left behind.  
  
~*~*~*~  
  
Martha had packed the pies in the truck and left a note for Jonathan. Riding into town by herself was a bit nerve wracking. The accident had left her with some fear of driving. It seemed that personal fate had some sort of morbid fascination with moving vehicles. Laughing a bit at the thought helped to pour off some of the stress that had been building.  
  
As she reached the talon she noticed that Lana's car was not there and hoped that she had remembered to tell her staff about the order. The last time this had happened Martha argued with one of her employees for 20 minuets over the order. Martha decided that she defiantly did not have the strength to deal with that today.  
  
Pulling the pies from the seat beside her Martha got out of the truck and walked into the talon. As she walked through the door she noticed a tall blond headed man behind the counter. Looking around Martha did not see Lana anywhere. Stepping up to the counter she sat the pies down.  
  
"Excuse me. Is Lana here?"  
  
Wil turned to face the woman. The look of shock quickly faded as the woman wilted to the floor.  
  
"Oh, hell!" Rushing around the counter to where the woman had fallen, Wil called out for Lana.  
  
" Lana I need your help. Some woman just passed out!"  
  
Lana came rushing out from the back room. "What happened?"  
  
"I don't know, she asked for you, I turned around and she just hit the floor. She looked shocked when she saw me."  
  
As Lana rounded the counter she realized who was lying on the floor before she ever saw her face. It had to be Martha Kent. ~*~*~*~  
  
Martha woke up and sat up with a start. The acrid vapors from the smelling salts burned her eyes and nose. Blinking and looking around she saw Lana kneeling next to her. Lana's face showed concern but it was replaced with a smile as she saw the recognition in Martha's eyes.  
  
"Lana, was that Clark?" Looking around she noticed the blond headed duplicate of her son standing off to the side a bit. He was clutching his apron in his hands obviously worried.  
  
"Mrs. Kent I am so sorry. I should have called to warn you. I had a similar reaction when I met Wil. The resemblance is uncanny, isn't it?" Glancing back over her shoulder she looked at Wil again. Motioning for him to come closer Lana introduced him to Martha.  
  
"Martha Kent, this is William Gibson."  
  
Wil walked closer and extended his hand to Martha. " I am sorry if I shocked you. Lana told me that I looked like your son, but I guess we must look more alike that I had originally thought."  
  
Martha just stared at him. His face was Clarks. The only difference was the color of his hair and eyes. Where Clarks Raven hair should be was a slightly unruly mob of platinum blond strands. The twin blue orbs staring back at her had the same passion and intensity as Clarks. It was downright spooky.  
  
Martha shook away the cobwebs and took the offered hand. Smiling at him she replied. " You too could be twins. Are you new to town? Surely you have to be. We would have noticed you before now."  
  
"Yes Mam, I just arrived here this morning. After my mother passed away I decided to move here and finish school. I figured I could find a place to stay cheaper in a small town and Smallville looked as good a place as any other." Wil hated to lie to her. He had recognized the name as soon as Lana had said it. If he was right this was the woman that had adopted the very person he was looking for. Deciding the lie was necessary for the moment, Wil made a mental note to apologize to her as soon as he could. Not knowing how many people knew about Clark's powers was becoming a nuisance that he would have to deal with soon. Slipping in front of the wrong person could be bad.  
  
Martha tried to stand up from the couch and fell back immediately. Wil moved to catch her, and scolded he a bit. "Easy now, don't try to get up too fast." The look of concern that flashed across his face made Martha even weaker in the knees. Clark had scolded her like that the last time she had come down with the flu. He had cared for her for 3 days, insisting that Jonathan let him do it to keep him from getting sick. He had nearly burned the house down trying to make her Chicken noodle soup.  
  
Martha began to giggle a bit but the giggles quickly turned to sobs as all the stress of the last week caught up.  
  
~*~*~*~  
  
Lana drove Martha home with Wil following them in Lana's car. Martha had insisted that she could drive, but she was glad for the help. Staring out the window at the reflection in the mirror, a thousand thoughts raced through her mind. Could it be that there had been another ship that fell to earth that day so long ago? What if this really was Clark's brother? This could be an answer to so many questions. She had phoned the farm and left a message for Jonathan. She hoped that he would remember to check the machine.  
  
As they neared the farm she could see the tractor out in the field bouncing along as her husband returned from fixing the fence in the west pasture. A bit of panic set in as she saw the tractor. Jonathan might not be willing to see the resemblance between the two boys, instead seeing some threat to his son.  
  
Martha knew that this was a sign that things were going to get better. Wil seemed to have a good heart. She knew that he could help them find Clark, especially if he was still wearing that dam ring. If he was indeed who she thought he was, then things were going to be fine. It had to be true. She needed it to be.  
  
~*~*~*~  
  
end of chapter 2 


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: All the usual disclaimers apply. Please review and let me know what you think. Much like Johnny 5 I need input!  
  
Blood Ties: Chapter 3  
  
Martha stood on the porch of her house waiting for her husband to return from the fields. They had seen the tractor headed back to the barn as they had driven by. Her mind raced as she tried to decide how to explain the young man that was sitting at their kitchen table. Lana had been kind enough to drive her back to the house after her episode at the talon. She had received a call on her cell several minuets ago telling her that there was an emergency at the talon that needed her attention. Apparently the employee that had taken over was up to her knees in foam from the already over taxed cappuccino machine. Though Martha felt bad she was relived that her son's girlfriend had left. Lana did not know Clark's secret and if Wil was who she hoped he was, her presence would have only complicated matters even more.  
  
As Martha watched the tractor approach the barn she wondered what her husbands reaction would be.  
  
~*~*~*~  
  
Jonathan smiled and waved to his wife as she crossed the yard towards him. She seemed to have a concerned look on her face and that made him worry.  
  
"Martha, Is everything ok?"  
  
"Yes and no. I need to talk to both of you. Something happened at the talon today."  
  
"What happened Mrs. Kent?" Pete automatically began to worry about Lana. Pete had managed to keep his feelings for the raven-haired girl a secret but with Clark gone they had been spending a lot more time together. It was starting to get difficult to be around her and not say something.  
  
"Everyone is fine, but I do need to introduce you to someone. I met him at the Talon this afternoon. I don't know how to say this but I think he might be related to Clark."  
  
Long moments passed as the statement sunk in. Jonathan looked at his wife not knowing what to say. Pete finally broke the silence.  
  
"Why do you think that he is related to Clark? I mean did he the go speeding around the talon or something?"  
  
"No, but I think you will understand when you meet him. Lets just say there is a family resemblance."  
  
~*~*~*~  
  
Jonathan sat at the kitchen staring at his coffee. He was beginning to wonder just how much shock his mind could take before it shut down completely. All the events of recent weeks were beginning to take their toll. Looking up from the cup of dark liquid in front of him he locked eyes with his wife. She had explained why the young man sitting at the table with them was there. His first reaction had been disbelief and then concern. Who was this boy that looked so very much like his son? What did he want and would it prove to be another tragedy for his already beleaguered family?  
  
Wil had calmly told them that he knew about Clark's secret, and what's more that it was a secret that he shared. He had explained that he had come here from another world in search of his only known living relative, and that it was the boy they had raised. A quick demonstration of speed and heat vision had convinced Jonathan and Martha that he spoke the truth.  
  
"Mr. Kent, I understand that this is a lot to accept. Hell, I wouldn't blame you if you told me to get out and never come back. You have been through a lot lately and this is just another twist in an already complicated life. I just want you to know that I mean you and your family no harm. I would like to help if you will let me."  
  
Jonathan Kent looked at the young man in front of him. He wanted to be angry with him. Things had been so difficult for Clark. His son had never felt that he belonged here. He had always wondered if there was another like him, and what it would be like to have someone to share his secret with. Pete had helped to fill that gap, but Clark had always worried that sharing his gift with anyone would cause them harm. With Wil he could be open about the rather unique difficulties that he had faced. If only he had been here before that damn ship started poisoning his son's mind. Why couldn't he have shown up in time?  
  
"Wil, I just don't know what to say. Your right, we have had a complicated life. With Clark's gifts and all the strange things that have happened in this town since the meteor shower it has been trying. All I have ever wanted was to live a normal life with my family. Instead I have spent the last 17 years constantly wondering when the government men in the chemical suits were going to show up to take my son. I don't regret taking Clark in. He had been a blessing and I would never change that. In fact if he were here right now I would likely be begging him to forgive me for the way I have mishandled things with him. We so badly wanted him to have a normal childhood and not have to worry about any of this." Jonathan paused for a moment his eyes focusing on some faraway place.  
  
Snapping back to the present Jonathans expression changed to one of steely determination. "I appreciate the offer, but this is something that we will handle ourselves. For the sake of my family I would ask that you not share this information with anyone. I know that you understand why this is so important. If anyone were to discover Clark's powers." Jonathan's voice trailed off his mind spinning with the things that would happen if the wrong person found out about Clark.  
  
Wil slowly stood from the table. Looking to Martha and then Jonathan he released a sigh. "I don't understand your decision, but I'll respect it. As for the danger to your family I assure you that I will not tell anyone about Clark. However, you must understand that I have no such concerns for myself and as I obviously have no family here, I'll be leaving now."  
  
As Wil began to gather his things Martha stood. "This is Ridiculous! Dammit, Jonathan we can't do this alone! Our baby is out there alone and Wil may be our only chance of getting him back." The tears of a concerned mother began to stream from Martha's eyes. Glaring at her husband she wiped her eyes with the back of her hand. " We don't even know where Clark is. How are we supposed to find him, let alone bring him home? He would have come back by now if he was going to. You are going to have to face the fact that we are in over our heads. If you want our son back then your going to have to swallow that damn pride of your and ask for help!" The tears flowed like a waterfall as she finished. Sobbing uncontrollably she collapsed into her chair.  
  
Jonathan rushed to his wife's side. He could see that she needed this to come to an end, no matter what the conclusion. The tears came in an instant when he realized that his pride had nearly cost them the only chance to find their son. He stood and turned to face Wil. With his hand on his wife's shoulder he looked the young man in the eyes.  
  
" Please find my son and bring him home."  
  
~*~*~*~  
  
Chloe had promised that she would stop by the talon on her way out of town and let Lana know that she was going. Lois had called and offered the apartment to her for the week. She had some big assignment in Gotham and wanted Chloe to come and house sit for her. Chloe had jumped at the chance to get out of Smallville for the week. Things had been really tense for her lately. She was worried about Clark, Lana wouldn't shut up about how much she missed him, and Pete was constantly telling her how concerned he was for Clark's parents.  
  
Normally she would have pulled the Chloe Sullivan, Stoic supporter bit and helped her friends with their problems, but lately she was just not in the mood. Lana and Clark had lied to her about being together, Clark had run off and Pete was trying to fill in as resident hero to all.  
  
She needed a holiday from the drama. Smiling she finished packing her bags and made for the car. She would stop off at the talon and get her coffee fix and then it was just her and the road to Metropolis.  
  
~*~*~*~  
  
Wil had stayed the night at the Kents house, but he didn't get any sleep. The conversation with Clark's parents had been very emotional for all involved. Jonathan had finely relented and asked for His help in finding their son.  
  
Rising early, he had left before Pete arrived, not wanting to add additional stress or deal with the inevitable offer of assistance that Martha had told him would come. He would have been glad to have the help in searching for Clark, but if Pete got injured it would be his fault. Better that all the slings and arrows of this journey land on his slightly tougher skin. Besides, the Kents needed Pete's help on the farm for the time being.  
  
Wil had arrived at the talon well before it opened leaving him time to think about a great many things. He wanted to tell Lana that he would be out of town for a week or more, though he was having a hard time trying to decide what to tell her. Lana didn't know about Clark's abilities and it was not his place to tell her. Trying to explain why he was going looking for a complete stranger might be a bit rough so he decided that he would simply tell her that it was personal business and leave it at that.  
  
He also thought long and hard about lying to people. It was really starting to bother him that he had to lie to nearly everyone around him on a daily basis. His mother had always taught him that honor and integrity were very important. Honesty was something he prided himself on not that long ago, but that had changed. The rational that it was protecting those around him was starting to wear thin.  
  
Wil was roused from his thoughts as Lana pulled up.  
  
"Hey Wil, what are you doing here so early? Your shift doesn't start for another hour."  
  
"That's why I'm here. I need to leave for metropolis this morning, so I'm not going to be able to work the shift. I know that you took a chance offering me the job and I'm sorry if I let you down. I'm will be gone for a while, and I'm not sure when I'll be back."  
  
"Is everything ok? You're not in trouble are you?"  
  
" No, its nothing like that. I just have some personal business that I need to get settled. Hopefully I wont be gone for more than a week. If you can hold the job for me, that would be great but I'll understand if you cant. This is rather last moment after all."  
  
Lana smiled and motioned him toward the door. "Come inside and we will get you some coffee before you go." She wondered what would make him leave so suddenly, but decided not to push. Wil had been great with Mrs. Kent yesterday and really seemed to be a good person. Lana decided that she would give him the benefit of the doubt.  
  
~*~*~*~  
  
Chloe pulled into the talon and made her way inside. Lana saw her coming in and greeted her  
  
"Hi Chloe"  
  
"Hey Lana. Stopped by as promised to say fare thee well and get my morning fix!"  
  
"Chloe I need to tell you about someone first. Remember me telling you that I hired a new person to cover the morning shift here?"  
  
"Yeah. You had said that there was something else you wanted to tell me, but then I got that call from Lois."  
  
"Well he is here, but we need to talk before you meet him."  
  
"Why, is he like all Quasimodo or something?" Smiling Chloe did her best humpback Impression.  
  
" No, he is like all Clark or something." Lana's serious tone made Chloe stop the goofing around.  
  
"Come again? What do you mean 'like all Clark'. If you mean that he is a mystery farm boy that has a penchant for never being there when you want him, but always there when you need him I'm not interested. If you haven't noticed I tried that once and he decided that he liked you instead." Chloe recoiled a bit at the venom in her voice. She thought that she was finally getting over her whole Clark crush.  
  
Lana winced a bit at the words. Chloe had reason to be mad. They should have told her sooner.  
  
"That's not what I meant. Wil and Clark could be brothers. The physical resemblance is spooky. Anyway what I actually wanted to say was that he needs a ride to metropolis and I thought that you might be willing to give him a lift. It's up to you. Let me get your coffee."  
  
Lana walked over to the other end of the counter to start getting Chloe's coffee ready. Just then Wil came out of the hallway leading to the bathrooms. Chloe nearly gasped as he came into view. Lana was right the resemblance was amazing. A flood of old emotions mixed with several brand new ones surged to the front of her mind.  
  
Blushing at several of them she suddenly became very interested in a napkin on the counter.  
  
Wil stopped at the end of the counter where Lana was standing.  
  
"Well, I guess I'm off to the bus stop. Thanks for understanding Lana. I'll get back as soon as I can."  
  
"Wil, before you go let me introduce you to my roommate." Lana walked down toward where Chloe was standing. Wil followed her as he inspected the petite blond at the counter. After looking her up and down Wil decided that this would be worth a little of his time. He had seen several fairly attractive women in Smallville since he landed, but this one made his stomach flutter.  
  
"Chloe, this is William Gibson. Wil this is Chloe Sullivan, My roommate and best friend" Lana smiled when she saw the way Chloe was looking at Wil. She was glad that she had warned her, or else Chloe might have made the same mistake she had.  
  
Chloe extended her had toward will, praying that it wasn't trembling as badly as it seemed to be. "It's a pleasure to meet you will" 'at least I hope it will be.Oh my god, Sullivan get a grip. He's hot, but damn' she added mentally.  
  
"Thanks, Its good to meet you too. Wil smiled a 1000-watt smile at her as they shook hands.  
  
Chloe looked at him and cocked her head to the side a bit. Grinning like a devil she said, "so, I hear you need a ride to Metropolis.  
  
~*~*~*~ 


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: disclaimers still apply and please review if you have a chance. I'd like some feedback.  
  
Blood Ties: Chapter 4  
  
The music pumped through the nightclub as people moved to the rhythm. The club in downtown metropolis was one of the most popular around. Clark had managed to impress the manager by dealing with several thugs that had attacked him several weeks ago. David had fallen into a pattern that the thugs had learned. When he had stepped out the back door with the deposit for the night in hand they had jumped him and would have likely killed him had Clark not come along.  
  
David swore that the boy was unnaturally strong, but if the kid was on 'roids that was his business. Clark was good with the customers that wanted to have a good time, and even better with the ones that didn't. Watching from across the room, he noticed Clark breaking up a dispute over some bit of fluff. There were always some women in the club that were trolling for men, and it caused plenty of fights. With Clark around the night had been mostly uneventful. David smiled at that thought. If he could clean up the club a bit it would draw more people. That meant more money and more money is always good.  
  
Dollar signs in his eyes David walked back into the office above Club Panther. It was going to be a good summer.  
  
~*~*~*~  
  
Wil and Chloe had been in the city for three days. She had offered the couch in her cousin's apartment to him for the week, and he had accepted. Chloe was glad that he had since it would give them the chance to get to know each other some more. Her crush on Clark had been powerful, but the feelings that she was beginning to have for Wil were bordering on crippling.  
  
Wil had wanted to take a shower before heading out of the town, and through a bit of miscommunication she had witnessed him getting out of the shower. She had made some sort of strange gurgling noise and quickly spun around blushing like mad. He had laughed and told her that there was no reason to be embarrassed. The body was something to be celebrated, not hidden. She had reached back to grab the doorknob to close the door only to find his rock hard abs where the handle should have been. Touching his stomach had set her on fire from head to toe. Turning to face him she looked at his perfect form standing before her glistening with water. The heat from the shower was causing small wisps of steam to rise from his quickly cooling skin. Slowly Wil reached toward her placing his arms around her neck. Sliding his fingers into her hair he pulled her closer. Looking deep into her eyes he said, " SUPER SUNDAY, SUNDAY, SUNDAY!!!"  
  
Chloe sat bolt upright in her cousin's bed as the alarm went off. Growling something rather un-lady like Chloe slammed her fist into the off button on the alarm. Snuggling back under the covers the realization that she had been having a rather naughty dream about the man sleeping on the couch made her sit back up. She had seen him getting out of the shower, but the towel that he had wrapped around his waist had obscured anything that would have been really embarrassing.  
  
The night that followed had been a whirlwind tour of metropolis, hitting all the really interesting spots and even a nightclub or too. The highlight of the evening had been club panther. Most people would never see the inside of the posh establishment that served only the elite of Metropolis. As they had neared the door of the club the doorman had simply waived them through like they owned the place.  
  
They had walked out on to the dance floor and begun to move to the sound that was pumping through the club. Their bodies had moved in unison to the beat of the techno music that surrounded them. For some time it seemed that they were the only two people in the world as they danced. She had felt her pulse quicken as she felt his hands on her body guiding her closer to him. Looking into his eyes she found the expression that she had always longed for with Clark. Wil looked at her as if there was not another soul there, like she was all that mattered. When the set ended and the music changed to a slower beat they had moved off the floor. He had moved to the bar to get them something to drink, but returned empty handed.  
  
Chloe had wanted to do bodily harm to Wil when he had grabbed her and dragged her from the club. Leaving he had looked like he had seen a ghost, so she quit fighting and let him lead her to the taxi.  
  
The ride back to the apartment had been silent. She had tried to ask him what was wrong, but the look on his face told her that he was too far away to hear her.  
  
Lying back on the bed she wondered what she had done to deserve falling for not one, but two men with issues. 'At least this one knows I exist' she thought. ' That's always a bonus!'  
  
~*~*~*~  
  
Wil lay on the couch staring at the ceiling just like he had for the last several hours. He had spent a wonderful evening with Chloe. Breathing in deeply, he could still smell her on his skin. Her scent was intoxicating. Wil knew that he was beginning to have feelings for her, but he worried that a relationship might not be possible.  
  
Relationships were built on trust and honesty. How could he tell her without exposing Clark?  
  
Clark.  
  
Chloe had been the center of his universe last night until he had noticed Clark at the end of the bar. Suddenly he had snapped back to reality. The objective of his quest stood before him. It was strange standing there looking at him like that. He had crossed the known galaxy to find Clark only to be told that he was missing and possible under the influence of a stone that would make him violent and mean.  
  
Wil suddenly panicked. What if Clark saw Chloe? Surely he would know that someone had found him and bolt, or worse. His heart pounded at the thought of someone hurting Chloe. He couldn't let that happen. Turning from his twin he moved across the floor to the table that they had been sitting at. Chloe looked at him like he was crazy as he told her that they had to leave, but seeing the urgency in his face she had relented.  
  
He needed to go back to that club tonight, but Chloe would likely want to go with him. That left him with two options. He could lie to her or tell her the whole story.  
  
His heart skipped a beat as he realized that he couldn't lie to her. He wanted to tell her about his life. He wanted to tell her about his mother and all the trials that he had endured to reach this planet. He wanted her more that he had ever wanted anything else, save finding Clark.  
  
Doubt flooded his soul as he lay there trying to decide. What if she was repulsed by his alien heritage? What if she ran and told the world his secret? What if she decided to keep that secret and still rejected him?  
  
The doubt was replaced with determination. He could not tell the future nor could he control the outcome of what was about to happen. He would tell her and hope that she could understand. All he could do was have faith that her heart was as good as he thought it was.  
  
~*~*~*~  
  
Clark sat on the bed in his new apartment above the club. David had let him move into the apartment as part of the pay from working the club. He liked working there a lot. He was able to watch over people and keep then safe without having to worry about hurting anyone. Sure there was the matter of restraint when it came to the idiots that wanted to pick a fight, but the word of the new cooler at Club Panther would soon spread. People would learn to respect him, and the fights would slow until they stopped.  
  
David paid him well and with the apartment he had everything he needed. He had gone out this morning and picked up a few things to keep himself occupied. The brand new TV that he had bought was showing the local news when the screen changed to a picture of Lex Luthor. The sound of the Reporters voice filled the room as Clark watched.  
  
"That's right Gary, It seems that after being declared dead, Alexander Luthor has been found on a small deserted island in the Caribbean. Lionel Luthor, the head of Luthor Corp. and Lex's father was unavailable for comment, but a spokesman for his son said that Lex is in good spirits and is expected to make a full recovery. There is rumor of a press conference in the works, but we will have to wait and see. This is Sheila Douglas reporting for Channel 5 news. Back to you Gary"  
  
Clark turned the TV off. Lying back on the bed he pondered what Lex had gone through to survive. He knew that Lex would have done whatever it took to make it. For a moment Clark thought that he might go to the hospital to visit his old friend. He quickly dismissed the thought when he realized that he had let Lex down as well.  
  
He had likely ruined the wedding, and there is no telling what the strange shockwave that came from the ship might have done to the Luthor corp. jet. For all he knew the blast had damaged the aircraft as it sat waiting for them to take off.  
  
"Its best to leave the past in the past." Clark decided aloud that he would leave Lex behind just as he was leaving his friends and family. He couldn't protect them from his previous mistakes, but he could surely keep them from harm now. With him gone there was no way he could destroy any more lives.  
  
"They will all be better off with me gone"  
  
Clark began to get ready for his night of protecting complete strangers not knowing that this night would change his life forever.  
  
~*~*~*~  
  
Wil had spent most of the day with Chloe trying to pick the right moment. They had done some shopping and then taken a stroll in the park before returning to the apartment with bags of groceries. Chloe had told him that she would cook him dinner so they had stopped at the store and bought the ingredients for spaghetti. Chloe had raved about her dad's recipe all the way back from the store, but Wil had hardly paid attention.  
  
"Earth to Wil, you there?" Chloe waived her had in front of his face as the cab stopped at the apartment building.  
  
"You coming in, or are we going to ride around the block first?" Chloe smiled as she poked him in the ribs. He had been a bit more distant today like something was weighing on his mind. Chloe had decided to make him dinner so she could try to drag it out of him. She was really starting to care for him a lot and she wanted to help him if she could. The other side of the coin was that she wanted to let him know right off the bat how she felt about him. With Clark she had never said it until it was too late, and she wasn't going to make that mistake again.  
  
"Huh, oh! Yeah, sorry, got a bit lost in thought there." Wil grabbed the bags from the floorboard and followed Chloe up the stairs.  
  
When they got inside Chloe shooed him from the kitchen telling him playfully that he couldn't see what went in the sauce or she would have to kill him. After a bit of playful flirting he relented and moved to the couch to watch some TV.  
  
Wil's thoughts turned to tonight and the inevitable confrontation that was coming. There were only two reasons that he could think of that Clark would have stayed away. Either he was still wearing the ring, or he had decided to never return for some reason. Either situation would be difficult to deal with, but He would find a way. Chloe dropped something in the kitchen returning Wil to the present.  
  
"You ok?"  
  
"Yeah, just slipped a bit. You?  
  
"No. I'm not. We need to talk, but it can wait till dinner is ready. Besides if we start talking now I'll miss the rest of Jerry"  
  
"Jerry! Yuck! How can you watch that trash?"  
  
"I was kidding, Chloe. I just need a bit more time to think."  
  
Wiping her hands on a dishrag Chloe walked in and sat down in Wil's lap. Wrapping her arms around his neck she gently kissed him on the lips. To her delight he kissed back. Several seconds passed at they shared a long passionate embrace. Nearly gasping for air as she pulled away she stared into his deep blue eyes.  
  
"Whatever it is, we can deal with it, ok?"  
  
Wil simply smiled and nodded at her. Chloe got up and went back to the kitchen to finish dinner.  
  
Inaudible over the TV came Wil's reply  
  
"I hope your right"  
  
~*~*~*~  
  
Chloe had pulled out all the stops and prepared a huge meal. The smell wafting from the kitchen was making Wil's mouth water. Realizing that he was really hungry he walked into the kitchen.  
  
"Is it ready?"  
  
Yep! My masterpiece is complete. Well, it will be if I can get the cork out of this wine. Lois said that we could help ourselves to any of the wine so I figured why not?" Chloe smiled at Wil from across the counter. His mood had deemed to turn even darker since the kiss. Silently hoping that she had not misjudged his emotions towards her she finally managed to pull the cork free.  
  
"Ah! Now we are ready."  
  
"You need me to do anything?"  
  
"Nope, it's all taken care of. Just sit and enjoy."  
  
Wil looked at the small table in the kitchen taking in all that Chloe had done. A huge plate of spaghetti sat in the center flanked by a large bowl of salad. There was French bread fresh from the oven and all the trimmings. Wil pulled out her chair for her and then pushed it is as she sat.  
  
Sitting across from her they began to serve each other passing plates back and forth across the table. Saving the wine for last Chloe pored their glasses. "Well, unless you can think of anything else, lets eat"  
  
Wil and Chloe sat making small talk between bites for most of the meal. Wil was impressed by her cooking skills. The meal had been spectacular. Wil smiled as he thought that it was as much the company as the food. He loved the way that she could light up a room with her smile. She made him feel alive whenever was around her. That was the reason that he hesitated to tell her. During the day the creeping doubt had gotten to him. Chloe saw the worry in his face and broke the ice.  
  
"So, what did you want to talk about?"  
  
"Yeah. There is something I need to tell you."  
  
"Ok, what is it?"  
  
"Well, it's kind of complicated."  
  
"I have always found it best to just say it. Get it out in the open. That way its there and you can deal with it."  
  
"Clark and I are related."  
  
"That's the big secret? Why were you so worried about telling me that? I mean, I kinda figured that you were related to him. You two look so much alike."  
  
"There is more. This is harder that I thought it would be. Chloe, Clark and I are not from around here."  
  
"So, like you're from Europe or something?"  
  
"No, a bit further away."  
  
"How much farther?"  
  
"A couple hundred light years farther."  
  
"Huh? Wil what are you saying?" Chloe began to fidget in her chair. Was he telling her that he was an Alien? Chloe's mind began to work as all the pieces of the puzzle that was Clark Kent began to click.  
  
"Oh my god! That's what your saying isn't it? You're saying that you and Clark are from another world!"  
  
"Yeah."  
  
"Yeah? Yeah! That's all you have to say? This is huge! Do you understand that one of the biggest questions in human history has just been answered? We have looked at the skies since the dawn of time and asked 'are we alone'."  
  
"This is just as difficult for me as it is for you Chloe. I told you because I didn't want to lie to you. I really like you and I don't want there to be any secrets between us." Wil looked down at his hands trying to decide how to tell her the rest.  
  
"There's more isn't there?"  
  
"I know where Clark is."  
  
"He is here in metropolis, right?"  
  
"Correct."  
  
"He was at the club last night wasn't he? That's why you wanted to leave so fast."  
  
"Lana was right about you. You're going to make a great reporter someday."  
  
Chloe's brain felt like it was going to explode. Her mind was trying to get a handle on what she had just learned. Everything she thought she knew about her former crush and best friend was a well-fabricated lie and the man that she was sure she was falling for had just told her that he was "a little green man'. Her body started to revolt as the sinking feeling set in. Her stomach began to churn as she realized that a very large part of her life had been based on a lie.  
  
"Oh god, I think I'm going to be sick!"  
  
Bolting from the table Chloe made it to the bathroom just in time.  
  
Wil followed her to the bathroom door. Through the wood that separated them he could here her crying.  
  
"Chloe, Please. Let me in. I never meant to hurt you like this."  
  
"It's a bit late for that." The door that separated them flew open. Chloe stood there wiping the tears from her face. "Look, I know that you had good intentions but I need some time to think. I think you should leave."  
  
"We need to talk about this."  
  
"Dammit Wil, you just changed everything I thought was true. I though Clark was mysterious because he had communication issues, not because he was from another freaking planet! Everything that I thought was real and normal just turned out to be a lie! Please, I just need time to think."  
  
Wil moved closer to Chloe hoping that she would not retreat from him. She stood her ground but he could tell that she was trembling all over. Slowly and carefully he wrapped his arms around her. Holding her close to him he stood there for a long moment waiting to see if she would return the embrace. Slowly Chloe lifted her arms and held him.  
  
"Chloe I am so sorry. Please forgive me, I never meant to hurt you"  
  
Chloe looked up into his eyes. They looked so human, just like everyone else's. Searching them she could see the fear and pain that he was feeling.  
  
"I don't need to forgive you Wil. You didn't do anything wrong. Clark on the other hand had a lot of explaining to do."  
  
"Yes he does, on quite a few subjects. The main one being what in the hell he was thinking running away from his family and friends"  
  
A flash of insight flew across Chloe's face. "The meteor rocks affect you don't they? The green ones make you sick and the red ones must make you drunk or something. That's why he destroyed my office. He knew that I kept one of the class rings!"  
  
"There you go again connecting the dots. You are going to have to stop that or I wont have anything else to shock you with." Smiling at her he kissed her forehead.  
  
Glaring up at him Chloe hit him playfully.  
  
"That's why I wanted to tell you. Clark is here and I need to go talk to him. Chloe, if he is still wearing the ring he could get violent. If he hurt you."  
  
"Shush, you."  
  
Snuggling closer to him she continued  
  
"I'll stay here. If I'm even half right about what the two of you are capable of I'm not entirely sure I want to be around anyway. Just do me a favor if you can, ok?"  
  
"Sure. Anything"  
  
"Come back to me in one piece, ok? The journalist in me has thousands of questions that need to be answered." She smiled at him.  
  
Wil Smiled back. "I'm coming back and I promise that we will find the answers together."  
  
~*~*~*~  
  
A/N: well let me know what you think. Next up, Wil meets Clark! 


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: As usual all disclaimers apply. Thanks for all the great feedback.  
  
Blood Ties: Chapter 5  
  
Clark stood at the bar looking out across the club. The night had gone mostly without incident. There had been one socialite that had drank a bit too much, but that was to be expected. This was a bar after all.  
  
Clark watched as the cleaning crew finished getting the place picked up. He admired the crew for the job they did. Most of them would never see the inside of the club during business hours having been deemed 'unworthy'. There was a double standard that Clark disliked about this place, but one that he could live with. He was just here to keep the peace, not dictate policy. The owner had talked to him about the type of people that were 'Club Panther materiel'. It seemed that most of the people from his hometown would not have fit in here, and that was just fine with Clark. He would make sure that they were safe and that would be enough. If he kept away from them there would be no chance of another accident causing them harm. Instead he would be content to stay here protecting the patrons keeping a safe distance from everyone.  
  
He couldn't afford to let anyone get too close.  
  
"Hello, Clark."  
  
Turning from the scene before him, Clark spun towards the voice. The look of shock on his face told Wil that Clark was having the same response that most of Smallville had had. Several moments passed before Clark regained the power of speech.  
  
"Who are you?"  
  
"Well, that depends on which planet we are on. Here, on earth, I'm William Gibson. On Krypton however I would have been Tor-Ul, Son of Dar and Maia Ul. Cousin to Kal-El"  
  
"That's not possible. Krypton exploded, killing everyone."  
  
"You're here."  
  
"But the ship."  
  
"Yeah I know, the whole last son of krypton bit. Your father programmed the ship to tell you that so you would embrace this world as your own, instead of searching for survivors. Besides at the time he probably thought that you were the last son."  
  
Wil walked up to the rail that Clark had been standing at and leaned on it, resting on his forearms.  
  
"He had published plans for a prototype ship and hyper drive that would allow our race to be saved. The fools on the council branded him a traitor and a heretic. Our fathers had worked on the designs together and my mother was training to be a pilot of one of the ships in the hopes that the few members of the council that saw the truth could be saved. In the end there would be no escape for most of the planet. The council discovered the construction of the lifeboats and sent troops to stop our parents. My mother launched your ship and then piloted mine away from the planet as our fathers fought to keep the troops away."  
  
"This can't be true. None of it makes sense! Why would my father program the ship to make me take over this planet? If he was the man that you describe, then why?"  
  
Clark cradled his head in his hands trying to make sense of it all.  
  
"That I can't answer. Maybe the ships core was damaged or the programming got messed up somehow. Hell, maybe he was some warmonger bent on conquest. Clark I just don't know. What I do know if that the man loved you enough to give his life to save you. That's got to count for something"  
  
Standing there looking at the man in front of him, Clark began to think about all the things that would have been different if they had been raised together. His mind worked frantically trying to make sense of it all.  
  
"If he loved me so much then why did he send me away? He didn't love me. He just wanted to continue his precious bloodline." Clark spat the words as if they were poison. He could feel all the emotions that he had managed to cork up beginning to force their way free.  
  
"Lets put aside the whole daddy did me wrong thing for a sec. What in the hell were you thinking running away from Smallville? I mean I know that you made some mistakes, but there were plenty to go around. Now you have a family that loves you, but you turn and run from them? Jonathan and Martha Kent might not be your biological parents, but that's no reason think that they love you any less. You know how hard it is for your father to ask for help right? He asked me, a total stranger, to come find you and bring you home. That should tell you how worried he is."  
  
"He's not worried about me. He made that very clear before I left." The tears began to come slowly. "I killed their baby. How could they love the alien monster that killed their unborn child?"  
  
"Oh, please Clark. Grow up! Jonathan said some things that he didn't mean, ok? It happens. He was dealing with a lot of grief, and you were the cause of some of it. Of course he was going to be mad. You made a mistake, and it was a big one, but it was just a mistake. You have to quit feeling sorry for yourself, grow the hell up and face this. If you don't you will be running for the rest of your life. "  
  
Turning from the railing Wil faced Clark. "And what about your friends? You just going to throw all that away too? Lana loves you, and Pete and Chloe would do anything they could to help. You might have lost your biological family, but you have another family here that loves you. All you have to do is quit acting like a child that got in trouble and be a man."  
  
Tears began to stream from his eyes as the grief turned to rage. Spinning around Clark grabbed Wil by the shirt.  
  
"You have no right to tell me how to live! I don't care who you are or where you're from, GET OUT!"  
  
The boiling rage rolled across Clark as he sent Wil sailing across the room causing him to slam into one of the steel pillars that reinforced the balcony. The pillar crumpled like it was made from cardboard as Wil hit it. Standing back up, Wil brushed the dust from his clothes.  
  
"So, you want to do this the hard way, Eh? Ok by me, but remember you started this." Grinning like a devil Wil looked around the room for a moment.  
  
"But not here, Too much to break. What do you say we relocate to somewhere a bit less tender?"  
  
Wil bunched his legs beneath him and shot across the room. Landing beside Clark for an instant He launched a viscous backhand strike to Clarks head, knocking his cousin across the room and through the back door of the club. With a burst of speed Wil moved to his side grabbing the stunned boy under the arms. Suddenly jumping skyward Wil and Clark shot into the night high above the city. Angling towards the forest near Smallville, Wil reversed his grip and sped through the air as fast as he could.  
  
"You want a fight, Clark? You got one." Wil stopped suddenly and threw Clark straight up. Speeding above him he executed a sideways spinning roundhouse that connected with Clarks stomach.  
  
Slamming into the ground at nearly mach one Clark lay still in the deep crater for a moment before he managed to move. He hurt allover. For the first time in his life he felt pain that didn't have to do with the meteor rocks.  
  
Standing Clark pulled the tattered Flannel rag from his chest. Throwing the shirt toward the ground Clark succumbed to the rage he was feeling. With a nearly feral scream He shot skyward to rejoin the battle  
  
For the first time in his life, Clark wasn't holding anything back. ~*~*~*~  
  
The area around the men was ablaze in fire and wreathed with broken timber and earth. Slamming again into the ground, Clark noticed a strange metallic taste in his mouth. Reaching up to his lip he pulled back his hand to find blood on it. The surreal moment was broken when Wil landed and spoke.  
  
"That the best you got, farm boy!" Clark was strong, and fast, but he didn't have the fighting experience that Wil did. Clark bunched his feet under him and lunged at Wil roaring the whole way. Wil stepped to the side and punched straight down into the back of Clark's head. Clark slammed into the ground as Wil backed up preparing for the next attack.  
  
Wil had done so several times, hoping that Clark would tire himself out after expending most of the rage and self-loathing that he had bottled up inside. Wil knew what he was feeling and knew how dangerous it was. He had felt it for several months after his mother had died. He had been careless and provoked the aliens of the world that they had landed on. Shaking himself from the reverie he focused on the moment. He needed to keep Clark fighting until he was exhausted  
  
Several more exchanges of blows or heat vision flashed across the impromptu battleground until finally the two titans stilled.  
  
Struggling to his feet Clark staggered towards Wil's prone form. As he closed Wil rolled into a crouch and launched himself full force at Clark. Both fists connected with Clarks chin snapping his head back and launching him in the air. Mere moments ago the blow would have shattered a mountain, but now he barley lifted Clark from his feet.  
  
Wil's right eye was swelling and he was certain that he had a cracked rib. Clark was not faring much better. Wil had split his lip and Clark would have several shiners of his own.  
  
Struggling to their feet they began to face off again. Wil looked at Clark and laughed. The laughter caught Clark by surprise.  
  
"Clark, you ready to listen to me now?" Clark answered by swinging at Wil again. The fight had taken too much out of him though and the blow missed by several feet. Overcompensation caused Clark to fall forward landing hard on the ground.  
  
Still defiant Clark began to pull himself to his feet. "NO! You have no idea what I have been through. How can I go back? How!" The exhaustion hit Clark as he fell back to his knees sobbing.  
  
"They can't forgive me for what I've done."  
  
"Can't or wont Clark?"  
  
"What?"  
  
"Cant implies that they don't have the ability to, which is bull. Your parents love you, as does Lana. Pete kept your secret and Chloe, well you'd be surprised how she felt" Wil flopped to the ground beside Clark wincing as he hit. The rib was definitely cracked.  
  
"Won't on the other hand means that they see you as some sort of monster that intentionally slaughtered their baby. Do you really think that the Kent's are capable of that? If you do, let me know and we will keep doing this until you get it through your thick skull that they sent me to bring you back. Do you honestly think that your friends and family see you as some horrible monster? Or is it just that you have been feeling so much grief and pain that you cant forgive yourself. After all if you cant forgive yourself how could they, Right?"  
  
"You don't understand. It was my little brother or sister that I killed. You couldn't possibly know what I am feeling?" Clark looked toward the ground he knelt on. His hands trembled as he thought of the fragile little life that he had snuffed out.  
  
"Don't be so sure about that."  
  
"You killed one of your siblings?"  
  
"No, I killed my mother."  
  
"What?"  
  
"She died because I was careless. The world that we landed on was the home to the Ventree. The ventree are a bipedal lizard race similar to the kimono dragons of earth in heritage.  
  
As I grew my mother and I stayed in an isolated area away from the larger settlements, but contact was inevitable. Some of the lizard men came and tried to kill us, but she was able to fend them off. This went on for quite some time. Each wave would bring more and more lizard men and we would fight them off. I began to get very cocky, taunting the lizards, as they would flee, even going out and provoking them at times.  
  
My mother warned me that they would eventually tire of the game if I would simply let things be. She even disciplined me when I didn't listen. To my shame, I was too stubborn to listen and because of that I wasn't there when the assassin squad came with the Kryptonite spears.  
  
You see, I was too busy tormenting some small family of lizard people destroying their house because I could. And for my sins I lost the only person that I had ever known.  
  
If I had simply listened to her she would be here with me. Don't make my mistake Clark. You can go and ask for forgiveness while all I have are regrets."  
  
Wil stood and offered his hand to Clark. "So, what will it be? Do we go again and hope that we don't kill each other this time, or are you going to go home?"  
  
Clark reached up and took the offered hand.  
  
"I don't know what I'm going to do. The last several weeks have been so trying. Loosing a sibling and my family only to find someone who clamed to be a relative and then proved it by beating the hell out of me." Wincing a bit, Clark stood up.  
  
Thinking for a moment Clark decided.  
  
"I'll go, but if your wrong."  
  
Don't worry Clark, if you get half the reception that I did, you'd likely think that you were going to get a parade thrown any second. Come on, lets get back to the city. We need to get cleaned up before we head home.  
  
Looking down Clark realized that what was left of his clothes were in tatters.  
  
"Oh man, mom is gonna kill me." Clark smiled as the irony of what he had said struck him.  
  
"I think she will overlook it this one time, but we are gonna have to find you something more durable for next time."  
  
"Next time? You planning on doing this again?"  
  
"No, it's just that I haven't told you about the conversation that Chloe and I had earlier."  
  
~*~*~*~  
  
A/N:Thanks for all the reviews all! Please keep them coming. I should have the next chapter done this weekend. 


	6. Chapter 6

A/N: Please forgive the delay in getting this up. I have been laid off and looking for a job has to come first. all disclaimers still apply. Thanks for all the reviews.  
  
Blood Ties: Chapter 6  
  
Wil and Clark made it back to the apartment shortly before dawn. Chloe had fallen asleep on the couch clutching the phone in one hand and the TV remote in the other. After getting Clark some clothes to replace the ones that he had shredded in the fight Wil gently picked Chloe up and carried her to the bedroom. Carefully laying her in the bed Wil stood over her for a moment looking at her peaceful face. The moonlight streaming through the window cast a soft glow across her sleeping form making her look like an angel as she slept. Moving across the room Wil sat in the chair near the dresser. As he sat he realized that he was covered in dirt and mud. Wil frowned knowing that he would have to stop watching her sleep if he wanted to get cleaned up.  
  
Grudgingly Wil stood and made his way into the bathroom careful to close the door before turning on the light.  
  
~*~*~*~*~  
  
The smell of bacon wafted through the air jumpstarting Clark's brain. The smell reminded him of his mothers cooking waking him with a start. Sitting up he looked around seeing not his room at the club, but the apartment that his cousin had brought him to last night. Looking toward the kitchen Clark saw Chloe busy cooking.  
  
Laying back for a moment Clark thought back to what Wil had said as they were on the way to the apartment. "I love her Clark. She had the right to know about me. I trust her and you should too."  
  
His cousin was in love with his best friend.  
  
Clark's head swam as he thought of the implications. He had discovered that he was not the only alien on the planet and that the other alien was not only related to him, but his cousin. That very same cousin had blabbed their secret to the one person that was most likely to tell the world and had done so because he was in love with her.  
  
Clark looked across the apartment at his long time friend. She was working to get breakfast ready and had not noticed that Clark was awake. She moved around the kitchen apparently lost in thought. Clark recognized the look on her face. It was the same look he had seen on her face at the prom. It was the same dreamy look that she had given him just before he had left her to save Lana. Knowing that she wore that look for Wil made his heart ache just a bit. She had been his best friend for a very long time. They were so close in fact that she had been one of the guys instead of the very beautiful woman that was cooking in the kitchen. He had missed out of what was right in front of him and hurt his best friend in the process. Choosing Lana over her must have broken her heart. Nothing else would explain her actions on the farm that day. She had told him off in an attempt to make the pain easier to deal with. He had hurt her by lying to her about his relationship with Lana. They should have told her from the beginning. Now he would have to regain her trust as well as her friendship. That might be a very long and lonely road to walk down.  
  
Clark let a small sigh escape as he swung his feet off the couch. "Time to face the music"  
  
~*~*~*~*~  
  
Chloe had woken to find the Wil sitting in the chair near the dresser asleep. She realized that he must have moved her to the bed when he got home. Quietly she got up and took a shower. After that she went to the kitchen to get some coffee started and cook him some breakfast. She wanted to know what had happened, concerned by the bruises on his face. Concern turned to contentment when she had noticed Clark lying asleep on the couch.  
  
It was obvious that they had fought. She knew that he would not be here unless Wil had managed to knock some sense into him. A whole range of emotions came flooding back to her as she stood watching the coffee brew. She wanted to be mad at the man sleeping in the living room. He had broken her heart and now he had caused the man that she loved pain. Try as she might she could not bring her self to be angry with him. He had not intended to hurt her, and though she cared for Wil he could take care of himself.  
  
Clark had been her friend since they were eight years old. Of course she had been madly in love with him from the moment they met. She thought back to the many nights that she had lain in bed praying that he would notice that she was a girl instead of just a friend with breasts. Chloe blushed a bit as she remembered some of the lame attempts to get Clark to notice her. One specific instance came to mind that caused her to turn beet red.  
  
She had intentionally gotten in the shower just before Clark was suppose to meet her to study. She had hoped that the site of her dripping wet wearing only a towel would get the gears moving. Instead she had sat on her bed until she finally air-dried. It wasn't until Wil had told her the secret that she realized that he had been off saving Lana while he should have been there with her.  
  
Chloe decided that she would forgive Clark and then make sure that Wil knew that she was very much a woman and that there was nothing that Lana or any other woman had to offer him that she couldn't provide in spades. She wouldn't make the mistakes with him that she had with Clark. She wanted him in her life and she was going to make sure he knew it.  
  
Chloe blushed again, but for a wholly different reason. Smiling as she cooked she failed to notice that she was being watched from across the room.  
  
Clark reached the breakfast bar and noticed that Chloe was blushing like mad.  
  
"Morning Chlo"  
  
"AHH! Dammit Clark! Don't you know better to sneak up on someone cooking?" Smiling across the bar Chloe slung a dishrag at her friend. "Have a seat, I'll get you some coffee"  
  
"Same old Chloe, I see. You still in denial about your addiction?"  
  
"I'm not an addict. Addicts go to meetings and stuff."  
  
"Riiight, and I am not an alien."  
  
Chloe and Clark looked at each other for quite a while. Chloe finally broke the stalemate.  
  
"You should have told me"  
  
"I know that now. I'm so sorry. I just didn't know what you would do. With the wall of weird and stuff I was worried that you might freak or."  
  
"You know Clark, there was a time when I was madly in love with you. So much so that it made my heart ache to look at you. Even after I resigned my self to the fact that we would never be more than friends I still would have died for you. I would have taken your secret to the grave if you had just asked me to." Looking at her friend across the bar Chloe sighed.  
  
"Now I'm not sure what to do. I want you to know that I love Wil very much. If for nothing more than to protect him I will keep your secret. Please understand that I will always care for you, but right now you have a lot of trust to gain back. You lied to me from day one, and even after we had been friends for several years you continued to lie."  
  
"What's worse was that you held such a low opinion of me that you couldn't be truthful with me about little things like you and Lana. I'm going to have to think long and hard about that before I decide if I want to let you back in my life again."  
  
"Chloe I'm so, so sorry. I never meant to hurt you, I swear. I thought that I was protecting you by not telling you. Please don't walk away from this friendship. I need you Chlo, you're my best friend."  
  
"You should have thought about that a bit more before you left." Turning her back to Clark she opened the fridge to get the butter. Turning back to the counter she started buttering some toast that had just popped up from the toaster. " I need some time to think about this Clark. Its not every day that you discover that your best friend had lied to you since the first day you met. I'll make you a deal. You promise to make up with your folks and that you will tell me the truth from here on out and I'll give you a second chance."  
  
"Only if you will admit to your coffee problem." Smiling with the signature Kent smile, Clark threw the dishrag back at Chloe.  
  
"Cute, Kent, cute. Remember, no more lies, ok?"  
  
"No matter what, from here on out you get the truth. Wil and I talked about that last night. The people I love deserve to know."  
  
"This mean your going to tell Lana?"  
  
"That is not a conversation I'm looking forward to."  
  
"Just be honest. If she loves you even half as much as I think she does it will be fine."  
  
Smiling at Clark, Chloe threw the dishrag back. "Though, you might want to leave out the anal probing stuff till you are out of the dog house."  
  
Chloe squealed as she ducked the rag. Popping back up she shot her best friend a grin that would melt the icecaps.  
  
"Welcome back Clark. Its good to have you home."  
  
~*~*~*~*~  
  
Lionel Luthor sat at his desk reading a report that had been handed to him nearly an hour ago. Project overlord was nearly ready to begin testing. Helen had brought more that her good looks to the table when she defected to his side. Though the attempt on his sons life had failed Helen had delivered a vial that was well worth the price he paid.  
  
The DNA from the blood sample proved to be nothing short of amazing. It held the keys to all they had been working on in level three and would allow Luthor Corp. to corner the market in the bio weapons arena.  
  
Helen was currently working on several strains of a retro virus that would allow the different traits of the DNA to be passed to any subject they choose. The healing factor that they had seen in the original 'donor' alone would be worth millions.  
  
A coughing fit wracked the older man's body. Hands shaking, Lionel reached into his jacket and retrieved the inhaler that continued his medicine. The attacks were coming more frequently than the doctors predicted. Helen would have to succeed and soon.  
  
Lex had managed to survive the plane crash, and though he did not have any proof of the collaboration between his father and wife, Lex would surely be suspicious. If Lex began digging again Lionel would have to remove his son in a more permanent way. He had hoped that silencing his son would not be necessary, but his investigations and snooping had led him to close to the truth about level three and inadvertently about Clark Kent.  
  
The intercom on his disk bussed rousing Lionel from his musing.  
  
"Sir, Dr. Bryce is here."  
  
"Thank you Sharon. Show her in please"  
  
The double doors to the office swung inward as Helen walked across the room toward the large marble desk.  
  
"Good morning Dr. Bryce."  
  
"Good morning Mr. Luthor"  
  
"I take it you have pressing news to come all the way up here"  
  
"Project Overlord is ready"  
  
Smiling like a jackal, Lionel leaned back from the desk. Reclining back in the huge leather chair the smile he wore made his face seem almost demonic.  
  
"I take it you were able to replicate the DNA from the Kent sample successfully?"  
  
"Yes sir. I was able to remove the kryptonite from the sample without damaging the Dna. We have enough genetic material for 3 tries. After that we will need to get another sample."  
  
"Good. Proceed immediately. How soon can you have the retro-virus ready for testing?"  
  
"Assuming that nothing goes wrong and the don't exhaust the three samples? I should be ready in three months."  
  
"Excellent."  
  
"The only other thing we need to decide is who the subject will be. This virus will recode the DNA of any subject it infects. The effects could prove fatal, but if it works we will want someone we can control."  
  
"That's where this comes in my dear Helen." Sliding open a desk drawer Lionel picked up a small box. Sliding it across the desk towards Helen, His smile widened.  
  
"You see my dear, controlling the men of steel we are planning on creating will be simple. Every dog has a leash, and so will our subjects. The implant you hold in your hand will be carefully inserted into the vascular system of each subject. With a press of a button I will be able to release a very fatal dose of the refined meteor rock directly into their blood stream."  
  
Pausing for a moment to look at the deadly object she held, Helen looked back to the older man sitting in front of her.  
  
"What about another sample? I have enough genetic material for the time being, but I will need more soon."  
  
"Young Mr. Kent will simply have to be convinced to provide us with another sample."  
  
Looking at the desk the file that Lionel had been reading lay open in front of her. Inside were a multitude of surveillance photos of Clarks family and friends.  
  
~*~*~*~*~ 


	7. Chapter 7

A/N: normal disclaimers apply  
  
Blood ties chapter 7  
  
The trio sat and ate while they talked about a great many things, not the least of which was Wil's trip to this planet as well as his adventures before he arrived. The morning gave way to afternoon before they knew it and they decided that if they wanted to make to Smallville before dark they had better get going. With a quick trip to the club to get Clarks things and his father's motorcycle they were off.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Lionel Luthor looked in the mirror that hung in his private bathroom behind his office. Staring back at him was the specter of death come to claim him.  
  
"You won't take me you bastard"  
  
Turning from the mirror, Lionel stormed from the small privy towards his desk. He stopped for a moment to gather his composure and then keyed the intercom.  
  
"Sharon, get me Dr. Bryce please. Tell her that I need to see her in my office now"  
  
"Yes sir, right away"  
  
Lionel reached for the large crystal decanter that sat on his desk. He poured a drink and then settled into the large leather chair behind his desk. Calmly he looked at the file he had received only minutes before. The words inoperable and terminal leapt off the page at him. Slowly he took a long drink from the glass in his hand as he reflected on the information before him.  
  
As the intercom softly buzzed letting him know that Dr Bryce had arrived he swallowed the expensive liquid.  
  
"Sir, Dr Bryce is here"  
  
"Thank you Sharon, show her in."  
  
"You wanted to see me Mr. Luthor?"  
  
"Yes I did, Doctor. This morning you told me that you needed a test subject. I assume that is still the case."  
  
"Yes sir it is."  
  
"Very well then, prepare you lab. I will be that subject."  
  
"What!"  
  
"You heard me doctor. Time is a luxury that we no longer have. This project moves forward today."  
  
"If you don't mind me asking sir, why you?"  
  
"I have my reasons Doctor." Glancing down at the folder before him he sighed. "How soon can you be ready?"  
  
Glancing at her watch, Helen thought for a moment. What could be in that folder that would drive Lionel to make such a dangerous decision?  
  
"Within the hour, but sir, please, let me find another test subject. This could kill you."  
  
Lionel took another long drink as he considered the doctors words.  
  
"We still need to get another sample from the Kent boy, correct?"  
  
"Yes sir."  
  
"Perhaps we can kill two birds with one stone." Lionel slid another folder across the desk toward the doctor. "My surveillance team informed me that the young Clark, his mysterious double and the Sullivan girl are even now speeding back to smallville. Have you finished the containment areas?"  
  
"Yes sir. Of course they have only been tested in computer simulations but the emitters should keep Clark and his new friend subdued."  
  
"Excellent Doctor, You shall have your test subject before dark. Be ready."  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Several hours passed before Clark made the turn from the highway onto the dirt and gravel driveway of his family's farm. His father's truck sat in its normal place and thousands of familiar sights and sounds assaulted his senses.  
  
He was home.  
  
Pulling into the barn, Clark parked the bike and swung his leg over the frame. Making sure that the stand was in the proper position he left the machine to rest in its traditional spot.  
  
Clark took a moment to breath in the smells of home and then, hearing Chloe's car coming up the drive went to meet his cousin.  
  
Walking out of the barn towards Chloe's car felt so normal, so natural that Clark failed to notice the snipers that were concealed around the farm.  
  
Chloe and Wil got out of the car, waved and began to walk towards Clark when the world fell apart. Time seemed to stand still as Clark registered the blur of movement just before it hit Chloe in the back. The look on her face told him that there was something drastically wrong as she started to fall. Wil turned to grab her as she fell only to cry out in pain as he too was struck from behind. Grasping wildly at something sticking out of his back he fell all too quickly to the ground  
  
Suddenly there was a sharp searing pain in his stomach. Looking down Clark managed to see that the dart was tipped in kryptonite just before everything went black  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Chloe opened her eyes slowly blinking away the fog that clouded her vision. Trying to sit up she realized that she was strapped to some sort of hospital bed. Glancing around the room as best she could she discover that she was not alone.  
  
Sitting in a chair near the foot of the bed was none other than Lionel Luthor.  
  
"Welcome to my parlor Miss Sullivan"  
  
"Said the spider to the fly"  
  
"Indeed, indeed. And much like the spider, I have cocooned you here so that I might survive. You see fate has played its hand much sooner than I had intended, and so now I must play mine."  
  
"I don't know what you are babbling about, and I don't care. Let me go you psycho!"  
  
"Now, now Miss Sullivan, Is that anyway for a proper young woman to behave?"  
  
"Untie me and I'll show you proper you bastard!"  
  
"Ahh, the famous Sullivan spunk coming to light, Good, You will need that spirit if you are to survive this ordeal. Please understand that this is nothing personal, but the virus must be tested." Standing from the chair and smoothing his jacket, Lionel walked to the edge of the bed. "I had rather hoped that our relationship would have been more productive on other fronts, but alas, it was not meant to be. I told you when first we talked that one way or another you would prove to be of service to me."  
  
Turning from the bed Lionel moved to the door. As he opened it he called back over his shoulder "have no fear Miss Sullivan, for by the morning you will either be a goddess or very dead. Either way you will have been of service to your fellow man. That is all any of us can hope for in the end"  
  
Just as Lionel left the room, Dr. Bryce came in holding a rather large syringe filled with bright green liquid.  
  
Chloe Tried to wiggle free of the restraints, but they proved to be too tight. Chloe began to sob as she struggled against the restraints. "Please Helen, don't do this. Please"  
  
Softly Helen replied. "Chloe I am so sorry, but I don't have a choice. There is nothing I can do to stop this. I mixed in a sedative to help with the pain. Please forgive me."  
  
A small tear rolled down the Doctors cheek as she pushed the plunger on the syringe.  
  
Chloe looked at the syringe as its contents emptied into her blood stream. The familiar darkness that she had felt at the farm returned as Chloe closed her eyes for what might be the last time.  
  
Struggling against the drugs that were beginning to take her Chloe clutched at Helen's Sleeve. "Please Helen. Tell Wil and my dad that I love them, please. Tell them. Tell them."  
  
Helen Fought back the tears as she walked toward the door.  
  
"I will Chloe, I promise"  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Hey folks, thanks for sticking with me. Sorry it's been so long since the last update, and I will do my best to get more up soon. Please review and let me know what you think. 


	8. Chapter 8

A/N: standard disclaimers apply  
  
Blood Ties chapter 8  
  
Wil woke suddenly sitting up abruptly. The sudden movement caused the pounding in his head to get even worse. The pain became so intense that Wil retched violently. Doubling over from the pain and the nausea, Wil found himself in a fetal position on the floor.  
  
Slowly the sickness faded some allowing him to move from the fetal position and back to a sitting one. He looked around trying to ignore the savage pounding in his head.  
  
The room was made of solid concrete with the exception of the large metal door that adorned the wall to his right.  
  
Slowly Wil managed to make it to his feet even if he was a bit unsteady on them. "Must be the drugs they gave me" he remarked aloud.  
  
As he finished speaking Wil could hear the bolt on the door being thrown. Slowly the huge door swung open revealing a woman in a lab coat followed by two men. One carried Chloe while the other carried Clark.  
  
The woman looked at Wil as the orderlies dumped his cousin and girlfriend on the floor.  
  
"Wil I'm Dr. Bryce. I need to give you an injection and take a sample of blood. Please don't resist me. If you do I will have to turn the emitters up and that could kill you."  
  
"Why have you done this? Why have to taken us!" Wil screamed at her, but the sound only caused his head to nearly split with pain. Falling to his knees, Wil cradled his head in his hands as tears streamed down his face. Looking up at the woman before him he whispered "Why?"  
  
Helen knelt beside him, placing the small blood work kit on the ground beside her.  
  
"Give me your arm please."  
  
Realizing that he could not resist, Wil grudgingly offered his arm to the doctor.  
  
Looking at his arm as she worked Helen glanced back over her shoulder as she reached for a second sample tube.  
  
"Smith, Johnson that will be all. He's too weak to resist. Go back to the lab and get the gas chromatograph ready. Make sure you run a base line with the glucose solution in the cabinet first."  
  
"You sure doc?"  
  
"Yes, I'll be fine. I still need to get samples from the other two as well. I'll meet you back in the lab soon."  
  
Nodding to her the orderlies both turned and walked from the room closing the door behind them.  
  
As the door swung closed Helen finished with the second sample and began preparing a larger needle. Gently she tilted his head to the side and pushed the needle into his neck.  
  
"Wil, please listen to me. While you were unconscious you had a small capsule implanted in your neck. It originally held a small amount of the refined meteor rock, but I replaced it with emerald dust. I never meant for any of this to happen. Please forgive me." Helen's voice was barely a whisper as she spoke. Finishing the injection in his neck, she moved to prepare the samples for the others.  
  
"I gave you a protein mixture that will reduce the effects of the radiation from the emitters in the room. I'm sorry I can't do more."  
  
Helen moved to Chloe and began to take a blood sample. Finishing the first sample Helen checked her pulse and listened to her heart for a moment.  
  
"What did you do to her?" Wil asked as he looked on.  
  
"I infected her with a retro virus that was designed to recode her DNA to match yours. I'm afraid that it's killing her, though. Her vitals are getting dangerously low." Pausing for a moment to get another vial, Helen looked down at the young woman and whispered to her.  
  
"Hang on Chloe. I'm trying to get you out of here."  
  
"We have to get her to my ship. It has a medical system that can heal her. Please let me take her."  
  
Helen didn't respond. Moving to Clark she checked his vitals and then drew the samples of his blood she needed. Giving him the same protein injection she had given Wil she moved towards the door. She glanced back over her shoulder toward Wil.  
  
"I'm sorry. I've done all I can."  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Jonathan sat in the small cell cradling his wife's head in his lap. She had been unconscious since the men that took them had hit her. She had a nasty lump on the back of her head and she was starting to loose the color from her face.  
  
Tears streamed down his face as he sat there helplessly watching his wife slip away. One of the men had mentioned that they were waiting for Clark and that Mr. Luthor wanted both of the boys and the girl alive. Jonathan knew that they must be talking about his son, Wil and Chloe.  
  
His heart sank when he thought about what they might want them for.  
  
Looking down, Jonathan brushed a stray strand of hair from Martha's face. Softly he began to speak aloud.  
  
"Our father who art in heaven..."  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Lionel sat in his large leather chair as Dr. Bryce spoke to him about the results of the experiment.  
  
"... This will also serve to increase neuro transmitter levels in the subject increasing response time as well as allowing for increased brain function. If my estimates are correct we will see a 45% over all increase in..."  
  
Lionel did his best to focus on her words, but all he could think of was the cancer that was slowly eating his brain. I can't let this beat me. I can't give in!  
  
Standing suddenly, He glared at the doctor. "That will be quite enough medical jargon Doctor." Pausing for a moment, he stared at her with a baleful gaze. "Can you do this or not."  
  
Swallowing hard, Helen looked up at the man before her.  
  
"Yes sir. With the information I have gathered from the test on the Sullivan girl, I believe I can. I have already altered the mixture and the new sample should be ready within the hour."  
  
"Very well. I feel I should tell you that my son will be here soon, so you might want to stay in the labs till I arrive. After all he thinks your dead."  
  
"Yes sir"  
  
"Oh and Helen? For your sake this had better work."  
  
The look on Lionel Luthors face explained what the implied threat had not. If she failed He would not be the only one to die from her mistake. Turning from the desk Helen made her way toward the labs. Suddenly an idea sprang to mind. It was a gamble, but If it worked, she might just be able to save herself and the poor girl that she had very nearly dammed. ~*~*~*~*~*~ 


	9. Chapter 9

A/N: All disclaimers still apply  
  
Blood Ties Chapter 9  
  
The long black limo pulled up in front of the huge glass and steel building that was Luthor Corps Metropolis headquarters. The driver got out and moved to the back of the limo, opening the door for the young man that sat inside.  
  
Lex slid across the seat as he wondered what his father could possible want. Since his rescue from the island, Lex had tried to speak with his father on several occasions, but he had never gotten a response. Lex laughed a bit to himself as he thought of the irony in that. Had he been born to a family like the Kents, it would have taken a tow truck to remove his parents from his side after an ordeal like the one he had gone through.  
  
"But that would show weakness" Lex mumbled to himself as the huge glass doors of the building slid open before him.  
  
As he walked through the doors his cell phone chirped rousing him from his musings. Lex slid the phone from the expensive calf skin holster at his belt flipping open the screen. There was a text message waiting for him. Keying in the commands to retrieve the message Lex waited for the message to be displayed.  
  
"Plane crash not accident. Father still pursuing level 3 project. Vial of blood you stole main focus of study. Kent family held hostage. Require your assistance to free them. Helen"  
  
The words on the screen chilled his soul. The level three project had dealt with meteor rock enhanced cloning, as well as other bio weapon applications. He had never been able to prove it, but the evidence he had uncovered pointed to its existence.  
  
Lex stopped for a moment to consider the possibility that this was some sort of elaborate hoax from his father to set him on yet another wild goose chase. And what could the Kents possible have to do with the level three project. Lex had long suspected that there was something strange about Clark, but he had dismissed the idea. More importantly his supposedly dead wife seemed to be alive as well as working for his father.  
  
As he stood there wondering what in the hell could possible be going on the phone chimed again telling him that there was another message for him.  
  
Looking down at the screen he saw the digital picture of the kents locked away in a small concrete holding cell. The picture was small, and the quality was pretty poor, but he could tell that it was indeed the Kents, and Martha didn't look very good.  
  
Lex began waking toward the elevator as he started keying in a response to the message. Finishing the message as the doors to the elevator slid open, Lex sent it and then immediately dialed a number into the phone.  
  
The doors closed and the elevator began to clime towards the top of the huge building. Just as the elevator began to slow the person Lex was calling answered.  
  
"Timmins, this is Lex. Have my security team prep for action. They are to move to the luthorcorp headquarters and wait for a signal from me. It seems the time may have come to deal with my father."  
  
Lex slipped the phone back into its holster and walked towards his father's office.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Helen sat at her desk typing as fast as she could. There was so much that she simply didn't understand about the dna model on her screen. Slowly she made some subtle changes to the molecule hoping that they would have the desired effect. Lionel would surely want to be infected with the virus soon, and if she used the sample that she had prepared earlier it would make him into a veritable god.  
  
Chills rolled down her spine as she thought about the horror that would follow if Lionel were to become that powerful.  
  
She knew that she had to do everything she could to fix the tremendous mess she had made on her own. Moving quickly she keyed the commands into the sequencer that would culture the new strain of the virus. A soft beep told her that the culture was prepared and the virus had begun to replicate. The computer screen showed that it would take nearly one hour for the new virus to replicate fully.  
  
All she could do now was wait.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
"Lex come in!" Lionel sat on the edge of his massive desk holding a glass of liquor. "I'm sorry I didn't come to see you in the hospital, but there were matters that I had to attend to personally. You understand of course?"  
  
"Of course" Lex's response dripped with distain. The Kents were more like a family to him that his father had ever been, even if Jonathan did seem to hate him. At least with Jonathan he came right out and told Lex that he disapproved. With Lionel it was always double talk and lies.  
  
"I'm touched by your willingness to see me Father. I know how busy you are." The sarcasam dripped from the words as they crossed the room.  
  
"Now Lex, is that any way to talk to your father? I spent millions of dollars on the search. Not to mention all the money I paid for the finest doctors in metropolis when you were rescued. I would think you would be grateful."  
  
"Grateful? For what? You used luthorcorp shipping vessels and aircraft to perform the search and the hospital is owned by one of your holding companies! You accountants will likely use this as some huge tax write- off!" Lex stalked toward the bar as he spoke. Pouring a drink for himself he continued. "What the hell was so important that you couldn't come and see your only son after he survived being lost at sea for months?"  
  
"Lex, don't be so dramatic. You survived, just like I knew you would. I raised you to be a fighter and your upbringing has obviously paid off. If I hadn't been so hard on you as a child you would have given up on that island. Besides what possible good would have come from me sitting beside your bed as you slept? I kept in constant contact with the doctors. I would have known the moment something changed." Lionel moved to the large leather couch across from his desk. Sitting down he looked toward his son. "Besides, there is a project that needed my close personal supervision. Please, have a seat, we need to talk."  
  
Lex moved to a chair near the couch and sat down. His mind was racing as he tried to figure out what was going on. His father was obviously funding research into the meteor rocks, and now had seemingly kidnapped the Kents. What could he possibly be up to?  
  
As he sat the phone at his waist chirped a familiar tone. The security team was in place and ready to move on his signal.  
  
Lex had dealt the cards, now it was time for the bluffing to begin.  
  
"Ok, what is it we need to talk about?"  
  
Lionel became very somber for a moment as he glanced toward the folder on his desk.  
  
"There is a folder on my desk that contains papers granting you total control of Luthorcorp and all its holdings. They have been signed and will take effect if I should die."  
  
"Why the sudden generosity? In the past year you have tried to take the plant from me, destroy my business and if I didn't know better I might be lead to believe that you tried to have me killed in that plane. For all I know Helen could be alive and working for you all along."  
  
"Normally I would not tolerate such accusations, but there is business that he needs to be finished Lex." Lionel took a long pull from the drink in his hand hoping to steady his nerves. "I have a tumor in my brain. The doctors have given me 6 weeks to live with no options for treatment or surgery." Once again he lifted the glass to his mouth. The cool liquid slid over his tongue and down his throat warming his belly.  
  
"I know that we have had our differences in the past son but I hope to change that. There is a project that I have been working on for some time now that might hold the key to my salvation. You are familiar with the meteor rocks from smallville. The radiation had a rather interesting effect on human tissue. My researchers have told me that this might be the key to a cure my condition. If it is, I promise you that I will try to be there more for you, as a father."  
  
Lex sat there stunned. His father had just admitted weakness and even pledged to be more loving in the future if he survived.  
  
For a brief moment Lex envisioned father and son conquering the world together standing shoulder to shoulder, equals in power. The image faded away as he remembered the one of the Kents lying in a cold concrete holding cell. Lex would not stand on their corpses simply so that he could have a better relationship with his father. The world would be his someday, but the world is not enough. Without Friends like Clark and his parents conquering the world would mean nothing.  
  
A look of nearly genuine concern came over Lex Luther's face as he replied to his father.  
  
"Tell me more about the research. If there is a chance it could save you I want to know all I can."  
  
~*~*~*~*~ 


End file.
